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Prior to Birth the Tu~Ita Episodes in Indian Buddhist Literature and Art

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Prior to Birth the Tu~Ita Episodes in Indian Buddhist Literature and Art Prior to Birth The Tu~ita episodes in Indian Buddhist literature and art Christian Luczanits1 Prior to birth, it is said, the Bodhisattva had stayed in Tu~ita heaven and descended from there to assume his last worldly existence. Indeed, the notion that the last birth of a Buddha follows a sojourn in Tu~ita heaven is found in all textual sources that also narrate the birth. However, there are considerable differences in these sources concerning the context of the descent from heaven and in the details narrated. In principal the events prior to birth become more and more elaborate and miraculous. This article focuses on the relationship of the visual evidence to textual sources. Although I begin with the texts, it should be clear that no preference should be given to any of the sources. Textual tradition(s) and visual tradition(s) not only are inherently distinct but also relate to each other in a variety of ways. These interrelations and transformations can only be understood when the wider context ofthe occurrence is taken into account as well. In the case of this study, the wider context considered is 1 This article is a revised version of a section on my MA thesis finished in Vienna, Austria, in 1993 under the direction of D.E. Klimburg-Salter and Ernst Steinkellner. German translations of the Lalitavistara have originally been done in the course of a seminar with Ernst Steinkellner. Maurizio Taddei worked extensively with me on the Tu~ita depictions in Gandharan art. Dieter Sch1ingloff kindly provided me with the analysis of the relevant sections in Chinese textual sources that have been prepared for him by Valentina Stache-Rosen between 1970 and 1980. Besides these Haiyan Hu-von Hintiber, le. Heesterman and Chlodwig Werba helped with different aspects concerning the MA thesis. Now, more than a decade later, the Lumbini International Research Institute headed by Christoph Ctippers not only gave the impetus to revise my previous study by organising an international seminar on the Buddha's birth (which I sadly could not attend then) but also enabled the revision for publication due to a research grant of which this is the first result. Finally, Elizabeth Rosen Stone gave me valuable comments and Harry Falk provided his interpretation of the problematic Bharhut inscription. Christian Luczanits the life of the Buddha and its placement within the relevant text or monument. Although practically all major primary sources on the life of the Buddha that have come down to us begin with the Buddha's descent from Tu~ita heaven, the secondary literature often ignores this event.2 The primary reason for this is the 'historical' approach that is favoured by western and western trained scholars and writers. Thereby plausible details, thus considered possible historical facts, are separated from legendary material to create a life ofthe 'historical Buddha'.3 This process very much reverses the exaltation process visible in the development in the story ofthe Buddha's life and, considering the conclusions ofBareau's study on the earliest sources on the Buddhas youth,4 appears equally arbitrary. The visual sources, too, may have had their part in the selection visible in secondary literature. As we will see, Tu~ita depictions are rare and often their identification is problematic and the descent itself is integrative part of queen Maya's dream. Generally, many of the aspects considered here have already been touched upon by Ernst Windisch in his detailed study on the birth of the Buddha.s He also notes, that the story of the Buddha's birth actually begins with the sojourn in Tu~ita heaven. Textual Sources Among the relevant Indian textual sources the Lalitavistara (LV) is arguably the latest, reaching its final form in its extant Sanskrit and Tibetan versions as late as the 7th or 8th century (see below).6 The LV also contains the most elaborate account on the events prior to birth. The 2 This is not the case in accounts based on the Tibetan tradition where the miraculous events are integrative part of the tradition. See for example: Csoma de Koros 1839: 231-232; Schiefner 1849: 2; Koppen 1906: 74. 3 Examples are: Pischel191O: 15; Oldenberg 1921: 108; Lamotte 1988: 15-23. 4 Bareau 1974: 26~274. S Windisch 1908. 6 An even later source on the Buddha's life, the Jinacarita, is not considered here, since it has no relevance for the interpretation of the visuals (see Nonnan 1983: 158). 42 Prior to Birth - The Tu#ta episodes in Indian Buddhist literature and art following survey of the texts begins with those that are least detailed concerning the relevant events and thus show the greatest divergence to the LV. Given that this survey of the textual sources serves as comparison to visuals, special consideration is taken concerning the illustrative value of the narration. This value may essentially be of two kinds, sequential and in detail. Under sequential illustrative value I understand any information concerning temporal and/or spatial sequences as well as sequences of visually representable action. Dialogues, for example, may be essential in developing the story but are almost impossible to depict. lllustrative details, in contrast, are elements that can be depicted in certain media and/or sizes only. Colours, for example, will only berelevantfor discussing paintings, and there are no relevant examples besides those of AjaJ).ta. Equally the six tusks ofthe elephant in Maya's dream can only be depicted if the general size of the scene and the material allows their depiction.7 In the Vinayas ofthe Mahisasaka and Dharmaguptaka schools, which are preserved in Chinese translations only,8 the birth ofthe Buddha is not narrated at alP Instead, these texts focus on the origin of the Sakya-clan, its genealogy and jump directly to the prophecy of the Brahmans. Obviously the Brahmans do not prophecies on the basis ofMaya's dream, since that is not narrated either. In the canonical Pali literature there are only two works that also narrate the birth ofthe Buddha. These are the Mahapadanasutta (MASu)IQ of the Dlgha Nikaya, which is also partly preserved in a Sanskrit version 7 It is likely, that some of the relief sculptures considered here, such as the AmadivatI reliefs, may have been painted originally (Knox 1992: 232). 8 Both Vinayas were only translated in the fIrst half of the fIfth century (Lamotte 1988: 169-170). 9 Bareau 1962: 7-8, 31; Bareau 1995: 16-17, 40. Contrary to the impression left by Lamotte's summaries (Lamotte 1988: 169-170 (1958: 186-187)) these texts do not contain a continuous narrative from birth to enlightenment, but focus on specifIc topics only, namely the origin of the Sakyas and the prediction and events of the Great Departure. IQ Edition: Rhys Davids, Carpenter 1903: 1-54. Translation: Rhys Davids, Rhys Davids 1910: 4-41, Walshe 1996: 199-221. Further: Norman 1983: 36. 43 Christian Luczanits (Mahavadanasl1tra11 ), and the Acchariyabbhutadhammasutta. Both de­ clare that the events during the last life of any Buddha are, as a matter of fact, identica1. 12 The MASu fIrst cites the individual circumstances of the last lives of Gotama and his six predecessors13 and then only narrates the life - from the descent from Tu~ita heaven to the fIrst sermon - of the fIrst of them, namely Buddha VipassI / Vipasyin. 14 The Acchariyabbhl1ta(dhamma)sut­ ta (ABDSu)15, in the sectiononemptiness (Sufifiatavagga) in the Majjhima­ nikaya, only focuses on the events from getting reborn in Tu~ita heaven to the birth. The parts common to both texts are almost identical. The descriptions ofthese texts contain very little ofillustrative value. A number of incidents are said to invariably occur at the time of the Bodhisattva's descent from Tu~ita into his future mother's womb. The descent is undertaken 'mindful and clearly aware'16, it is accompanied by a radiance illuminating the whole universe, described in great detail, as well as an earthquake,17 and four gods guard the future Buddha's mother in the four directions. 18 Then the Bodhisattva is likened to a gem, his 11 Editions: Waldschmidt 1953, Fukita 2003. Fukita's edition improves the earlier one considerably. 12 Strictly speaking, the Acchariyabbhutadharnrnasutta (ABDSu) does not clarify at all which Buddha's birth it actually describes (Windisch 1908: 103-105). Windisch 1908: 107-137, discusses each sentence of the ABDSu and compares them with other sources on the Buddha's life, namely the Nidiinakatha, Mahavastu and the Lalita. 13 While the events are identical the following circumstances are individual for each Buddha: kalpa, life span, caste, family name, bodhi-tree, number of disciples, principal pair of disciples, attendants, son, parents and capital. The BuddhavaqIsa, focusing on the individual circumstances only, extends this concept to 24+3predecessors of Buddha Gotama (Homer 1975, Jayawickrama 1995). 14 The relevant sections are: Rhys Davids. Carpenter 1903: 11-13; Rhys Davids, Rhys Davids 1910: 8-10; Walshe 1996: 203-204; Fukita 2003: 52--61. 15 Edition: Chalmers 1899: 118-124. Translations: Chalmers 1927: 222-226. Homer 1967-76: rn, 163-169; NiiI)amoli, Bodhi 1995: 979-984. 16 Pali: sato sampajiino. This is not noted in the Sanskrit while it further emphasised by the ABDSu, where also the prior rebirth in Tu~ita and the stay there have been concious. 17 See also Windisch 1908: 110-112. 18 The commentary to the MASu by Buddhaghosa qualifies them as the Four Great Kings (Stede 1971: 434). 44 Prior to Birth - The Tu~ita episodes in Indian Buddhist literature and art mother's virtues are expounded and the birth is described. There are neither details concerning the sojourn in Tu~ita heaven among the gods nor is the dream of the queen mentioned.
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